


I can only lean on you

by Nudelkaetzchen



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Language, Gunshot Wounds, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Slow Burn, Survival Horror, Violence, Vomiting, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:08:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25597816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nudelkaetzchen/pseuds/Nudelkaetzchen
Summary: Darkwing and Negaduck are trapped together in another dimension where the zombie apocalypse happened. They must learn to work together to survive and get back home. Easier said than done.
Relationships: Drake Mallard/Negaduck
Comments: 97
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

This was just his luck. Weird things like this happened to Darkwing on a constant basis, but still this was insane. As he was falling into the swirling nothingness he could only grimace and curse under his breath.

"Well looks like you got a potty mouth on you. Seems like Mr. Hero is not as pure as he likes to think."

It seems it was not muttered quietly enough.

Falling in an endless portal of doom was one thing for our hero, but falling in an endless portal with your arch nemesis, well that was another.

It was just bad bad luck.

He didn't acknowledge the other duck and just rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Hey, I can't help it that we are in this situation! You were the one who jumped in after me. If it weren't for you, I would already be home in my beautifully desolate Saint Canard."

Darkwing now looked at the other and crossed his arms in obvious disagreement of everything that came out of the evil ducks mouth.

"Like I would let a criminal such as yourself just escape and go back home. You are clearly mistaken if you think I, the Dashing Darkwing Duck would allow evil doers to wreak havoc in my city and-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, just spare your breath and your goody two-shoes attitude for someone else. Makes me wanna gag."

Darkwing just opened and closed his beak which made the other laugh out loud.

"Well that shut you up real quick."

"You are an asshole."

"Tell me something I don't know already."

Shaking his head the hero just looked around again, trying to find something to get out of their current predicament. But as before there was nothing there besides him and Negaduck.

Silence settled between them as both got lost in their own thoughts.

It was then broken when the evil one yelled in a triumphant voice.

"Finally it's the fucking end. I don't even care where we land as long as I can get out of this boring nothingness."

Drake looked over to where the other was staring and saw a very weird light that usually meant that they arrived at their destination.

Well Darkwing could just theorize but Negaduck seemed pretty sure and he travelled often by using the portal in the bakery.

They both had to cover their eyes as the light got brighter and brighter before they were enveloped in it.

Negaduck was the first to land with a loud thud on the concrete floor. With a grumble he started to get up as another body suddenly hit him full force and made him let out an involuntary groan of pain.

"Ups my bad. But thanks for cushioning my fall Negaduck." Said Darkwing in a not so apologetic tone.

"Yeah, you are fucking welcome!"

They both stood up and finally looked around the new and unfamiliar place. They were in a small alley which looked and smelled horrible. Leaving the narrow alley they stepped into the open streets of the unknown city.

It looked gray and was eerily silent, something that Negaduck personally found appealing.

"This place ain't' so bad. I kinda like it."

"Yeah, speak for yourself. This is horrible."

Shrugging, the evil duck started to make his way forward when a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

"I am going to look around this place. What, are you scared?"

"Of course not! We just don't know what's out here."

"Aaaw, are you worried then?"

"Stop making fun of me! Do whatever you want and see if I care!"

Smirking, Negaduck just turned back again and continued to look around the street. The tall buildings around them were all destroyed and decayed. Windows were shattered and vehicles were all around the street.

The one thing that both of them noticed however was the lack of people. Such a large city should be filled with pedestrians and bustling with life.

A chill ran along Drakes spine as a gust of cold wind blew and ruffled his feathers.

Deciding that he didn't really have any better options he started to follow the other along the road. Looking from building to building and trying to look into a few windows to maybe see someone.  
But they did not find anyone. Everything was deserted.

Negaduck suddenly stopped and Darkwing who was not paying any attention, almost bumped into him.

"Hey why did you stop? You see something?"

"Just shut up for a moment."

"Don't tell me to shmmpf!"

Darkwings eyes widened, as the other suddenly clamped his beak shut with a hand and stared ahead into the darkness as if listening.

The duck did not try to free himself as he too suddenly heard the groaning sound that the other duck most likely noticed sooner. It sounded like someone was in pain and the nature of wanting to help people in need overwhelmed Darkwing in an instant.

He tried to remove the hand that held his beak shut but it simply would not budge. Grumbling, he tapped Negaducks shoulders and made muffled protesting sounds.

He was once again surprised when he was suddenly pushed back into the alleyway they emerged from in the first place and pushed up against the wall with the others body covering him.

"Mmh??!"

"Shh, quiet!"

The moaning grew louder as the person slowly came closer to where the two ducks were currently hiding.

Darkwing just blinked a few times and he could feel his face heating up a little bit from embarrassment by being too close for comfort to his enemy. Questions were burning in his mind. Why were they hiding? And was he imagining it or did Negaduck look scared?

This all felt so weird for the vigilante that he didn't even fight the other anymore and just waited for the mystery person to reach them.

They stayed like that, pressed close to the wall and in the shadow of the building as the figure became visible to them.

As his eyes landed on the person he could feel as his heart picked up speed and he was sure that the duck pressed close to him also felt the same.

The creature, because it could not have been a person, was slowly staggering along the road. Upon closer inspection one could clearly see that half of his face was missing and slowly dripping blood on his dirty shirt.

His one good leg moved forward as he dragged his other leg rather awkwardly behind himself. Feathers almost all brown with dried and fresh blood. His torso was ripped open and intestines were visible. Darkwing could feel bile rising up and he had to concentrate to not just vomit everywhere from the sight.

How was he alive? How was he even moving?

They stared silently at the creature as it slowly moved on from where they were and continued to stumble across the road, leaving a wet bloody trail behind himself.

Neither of the two ducks dared to move even a muscle until the groaning completely disappeared.

Negaduck finally let go of the beak of the other and moved a few steps back.

"W-what was that thing?" Darkwing breathed out.

"Fuck if I know."

Gulping rather audibly, Darkwing couldn't even imagine what could have happened to leave someone in that state. He really didn't want to know.

He was sure that he could remember Gosalyn telling him about these types of creatures. Zombies, she would call them, but Darkwing always just rolled his eyes and laughed at her wild imagination. But this wasn't just some horror film, this was real. At least in this dimension, wherever this was, it was real.

Peeking out from the dark alley they both looked around but saw no more signs of anything else.

"Well, I do like the place but I don't wanna run into that guy again."

"What if there are more of them?"

"Then we are fucked."

"Nice."

"You asked."

Crossing his arms the purple clad duck sulked again as the other just shrugged and smirked.

"We need to find someplace to stay for the night. Who knows what else is running around here in the dark?"

"I thought you were the terror that flaps in the night. Suddenly scared of the dark?" Negaduck said mockingly.

"No, I am not scared of the dark, but I don't want to be eaten by a zombie!"

"Hmm, can't argue with that part."

Suddenly Darkwings eyes widened as he stared behind the other and he muttered as quietly as he could.

“We need to get out of here! Now!”

Negaduck turned around and saw what made the other look so scared. At least a dozen of Zombies, in varying degrees of rot, were moving towards them at an alarming speed. They were not running but the sheer amount of them would overpower the two ducks in an instant. 

"Well, since dying is not on my agenda today I have to agree with you on that one. Follow me, we need to find someplace to lay low for now.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Either you come with me and we have a better chance at surviving or you stay here alone and see how you manage.”  
Darkwing looked at the horde before his eyes landed back on his mirror image.

“Fine, let’s go!”

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"You sure this is safe?"

"Of course! We checked every exit and bolted up all windows. It's cozy in here."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call this cozy."

"You are just a wimp."

Darkwing couldn't hold back a scoff as he glared at the other duck.

"If I remember correctly I stopped every single evil plan of yours, so if anybody is a wimp it's you."

"You always had help from someone. One on one, I could beat you to the ground!"

"Oh yeah?!"

Negaduck grasped Darkwings collar and yanked him closer so that their beaks were almost touching.

"You wanna fucking bet?"

Growling in irritation Darkwing only pushed the other away and arranged his costume back into place.

"I am not going to fight you here Negaduck, if we want to get out of here we have to work together."

"Whatever." Muttered the other and went back to plop down on his makeshift bed, which consisted of a cardboard and a ratty blanket they managed to find.

Darkwing watched the other for a few more seconds before he too went to his own bed on the other side of the boarded off living room and laid down.

It was very uncomfortable. He was so used to sleeping in his comfy bed that sleeping on the floor was torture to his body.

He listened to the breathing of the other and stared up at the ceiling in the darkness.

It was weird for the vigilante that his evil counterpart would agree with him about working together. Usually he had lackeys and he always betrayed them in the end.

Darkwing could not let his guard down while Negaduck was near, so sleeping was not really an option.

As he turned over and sighed for the 8th time, a rather annoyed grumble was heard from the other side of the room.

"Stay still and go to fucking sleep already. I can't relax with you moving around."

"I am trying! I am just not used to sleeping on the floor!"

"Oh your pretty little bottom can't handle the hard floor? Well get over it!"

"Easy for you to say. You have as much feeling in you as a plank."

"Heh...well you gotta be hardcore when you live in a place like mine. It's not so easy growing up somewhere where everyone tries to constantly kill you...or worse."

Darkwing quickly shut his beak when he heard that remark as his brain began to analyze the tone of the other. He never really thought about the childhood of his arch enemy. He just thought he was always this way. But Darkwing was different as a child as well so Negaduck also could have been different.

"Don't think too hard on it, it doesn't matter anymore anyway. It's in the past. Now I just crush anyone who dares to get in my way."

This was weird.

Were they having a semi-normal kind of civil conversation? Darkwing wanted to learn more.

"Why DO you keep coming to my dimension if you like yours so much?"

Silence greeted him for a few seconds and Darkwing thought the other wouldn't answer.

"More people to mess with."

"Is that all?"

"What else would there be?"

"I don't know...maybe you like it better because it's safer?"

"When you are someone like me, nowhere is safe."

So the other never felt safe in his life? That actually explained a little bit about his behavior.

"So why not just stay in my Saint Canard and…"

"And what? Live a normal and happy life? Not for me. Besides, I love being evil. I would never give it up."

"Have you actually tried doing normal stuff? Maybe you would grow to appreciate it. If you took off your mask and suit, no one would know it was you."

"I don't need your advice!! I am fucking evil and I love it this way! Do not try to give me your bullshit, because I don't need it!"

With that said Negaduck turned on his side, away from the other and ignored him for the remainder of the night.

As predicted both of them stayed awake the whole night.


	2. Chapter 2

Darkwing slowly opened his eyes as a ray of sunshine reached his face, making him squint and cover his eyes.

He must have fallen asleep sometime in the early hours because he could clearly remember seeing the sun come up through a small hole in the boarded up window.

Looking over to the windows he found the other duck already standing there and peering out to the streets through a small gap between the wooden planks that they used last night.

Darkwing didn't say anything and the other clearly hadn't noticed that he woke up. It was amazing how different he looked without his scowl. His face was relaxed as he stared outside, clearly lost in thought. Other people could never tell the difference between them but Darkwing saw the little telltale signs that pointed to a different lifestyle.

His feathers were not as well kept as Drakes and his beak had a lot of deep looking scars. These differences in appearance were so obvious after all this time and Drake even found it a bit funny now how he thought they were totally identical from an outside view.

He banished these thoughts from his mind as the situation they were currently in was more important than his musings about the other one.

With one last stretch he got up from his makeshift bed and groaned as his back cracked here and there. Negaduck finally noticed that he woke up and only glanced at him for a moment before his eyes wandered back to stare at the outside.

"Finally awake I see."

"I must have fallen asleep."

"No duh, you snored like a chainsaw. And I would know what that sounds like."

"Yeah, well I was exhausted!"

"Whatever. While you were having your beauty sleep over there I have been staring outside for the last 2 hours and haven't seen any of those fuckers for a while, we should be clear."

"Well, you know you could have woken me up if it annoyed you that I fell asleep."

Dark eyes shifted in his direction again.

"Naah. You would be even less useful if you were tired. Besides at least I didn't have to listen to you talk. You know how annoying it is when you always go on and on about being a friggin hero? Ugh, drives me nuts."

Darkwing looked mildly offended but knew better than to take the bait. Instead he started for the door.

"So then, let's go and have a look around. Cooped up in here with you is the last thing on my to do list."

"Same here Dorkwing."

"Wow, how original. Now help me with these planks."

"What? Not strong enough?" Mocked the other but went to help Darkwing remove the nails from the planks.

Stepping out into the open air they both looked around before cautiously moving further away from their little hideout.

It was quiet but much better than yesterday in the grey darkness of the night. Darkwing could almost imagine that everything they saw was only a nightmare and now it would be all okay, but then his eyes landed on a corpse not far from them by the side of the road. The smell of rotting flesh not assaulting them as the wind was blowing the other way. But the sight alone made the duck gag and cover his mouth with a grimace.

Negaduck for his part only stared at the dead body and silently analyzed for the reason of death. Multiple chunks were missing from the torso and the head was bashed in.

"Poor bastard must have been dead for a few days now. Come on, no time for sightseeing."

Concentrating hard Drake looked away from the body and followed the other down the road.

"How are you so okay with all this?!"

"Seen worse. After a while you get used to it."

"Used to this?"

"Yeah dumbass, used to death. I saw it every day. This is no different."

"No wonder you are so insane."

Smirking the other duck shrugged.

"What can I say, I have my charm."

Darkwing scoffed but fell silent as he walked behind the other and stared at his back. As if feeling that there were eyes on him Negaduck turned his head.

"What?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Darkwing answered.

"What do you think happened here?"

Turning back around and sighing Negaduck answered in a bored tone.

"Fuck if I know. What does it matter anyway? First thing we do is search for weapons and food."

"Shouldn't we just find a way to get out of here?"

"Yeah but in the meantime I don't plan on dying you idiot!"

Bristling at the insult Darkwing gritted his teeth.

"Fine but you don't have to be an asshole about it."

"It's in my nature baby!" Laughing in amusement he did not see the purple clad duck grumble and blush slightly from the weird nickname.

Suddenly a loud bang echoed around that made them both stop and look around.

"What was that?"

"If it's those fuckers then I don't wanna find out."

With that he turned the corner and went down a different road in the opposite direction of the sound.

Darkwing not knowing what to do just followed him.

They moved silently through the street looking around for something useful but every store they came across was all stripped of the essentials.

As they walked they found multiple corpses in different stages of rot. The sights were not pretty.

Not much else was said between them as they both concentrated to spot anything dangerous and to see if there was any place worth getting in and looking around.

In the end they did find a lot of useful items which they carried in bags that they took from a shop.

Cans, a few bags of food that was still edible, couple of flashlights and of course weapons.

Negaduck happily walked ahead as he carried a baseball bat with nails in it and an axe in his belt.

Darkwing opted for the normal baseball bat without the nails, even though the other kept insisting they were better that way.

They had a few close calls with the zombies but nothing they couldn't run away from, or in Negaduck’s case couldn't beat to a fucking pulp.

At the end of the day both of them were grimy and exhausted as they slowly made their way back to their secure room.

"I could get used to the massacre and carnage. Did you see how his head just popped? I think I am high as a kite from that."

Darkwing didn't even have the energy to reply. His stomach was still doing flips as his mind constantly played back the way Negaduck just killed those people. Logically he knew it needed to be done but it was still just horrible.

They had to stop multiple times on their way because Drakes stomach couldn't handle either the sights or the smells and promptly decided to empty its contents.

Every time he did, Negaduck would just stand there and wait for him while standing guard. No mocking, no laughter. After Darkwing was done throwing up they would just continue on like nothing happened.

Darkwing didn't have the energy to analyze this behavior as he always did with each of his foes. Only if you knew your enemy was it easy to outsmart them in the end. And Darkwing was good at that. But right now he only cared about getting back to their safe house and lying down a bit.

They made it back relative fast now that they were not looking into every second building for things to take.

They arrived back and Negaduck picked up the wood that they used to barricade the door.

"With the new ones we found I can reinforce the whole house so we can use the other rooms as well, not just this one."

Darkwing nodded and went to help him but was stopped with a shove from the other that made him land back on his bum.

"Sit down you idiot before you fucking faint. You been puking up your guts. I can do this alone."

At first Darkwing wanted to argue but then he thought better of it. If the other wanted to work alone then so be it. At least this way Drake could relax a bit and settle his stomach that was still a bit queasy.  
Pulling his bag closer to himself he opened it and started to organize the food and the various objects they found and deemed useful.

As he was sorting through the cans and other various items he thought about the way the other handled things. But it made sense that if you were surviving your whole life, it would be crucial to learn these things.

Finishing up with his sorting Darkwing sighed before standing up and unclasping his cape. His hat followed suit as he laid both on the floor in a neat pile.

Now came the difficult decision, his uniform. As he looked down on himself the various splatters of blood and other bodily fluids that he did not want to think about were visible. Honestly it was super gross and the lingering smell made him grimace.

His clothes were in a definitely better shape than Negaduck’s but still pretty bad. Bad enough that he kind of didn't wanna be in it anymore. Now here came the complicated part. Darkwing was a neat freak. He liked his things and himself to be tidy and clean but he knew they couldn't waste water on things like bathing. But if there was still running water in the house? He would have to investigate.

Moving out of the living room he made his way to the bathroom and to then sink.

"Please let there be water." He murmured and turned the tap.

At first it gave a loud splattering sound and gunky water started to come out but after a while it turned clear.

Smiling in triumph he checked if there was warm water. No such luck seeing as there was no electricity in the house. But still, he could wash himself off with a wet towel and give his clothes a good scrub as well.

"What are you smiling about in here?"

Jumping in alarm Drake turned around and came beak to beak with the other duck.

"Don't scare me like that!" He yelled as he backed away with a scowl.

"Oh, so sorry to have disturbed you." Said the other mockingly.

"Yes, well. Could you leave? I would like to clean myself a bit and wash my clothes."

"Good idea!" Yelled Nega as he started to take off his blood soaked clothes making Darkwing’s eyes widen.

"W-wha? You can't just!"

"Calm down princess! I am just taking this off."

He said, rolling his eyes as he threw his yellow suit, cape and hat on the head of Darkwing leaving him in his mask and red pullover.

"Wash these for me will ya?"

With that he turned around and left the other duck alone in the bathroom again covered in filthy clothes and still spluttering in embarrassment.

"What an asshole."

Muttered Drake while throwing the filthy clothes on the floor and slamming the bathroom door shut.

After about an hour Drake emerged from the bathroom, only in his mask and his blue pullover. The washed clothes were left hanging in the bathroom to dry.

Feeling fresh and satisfied Drake entered the living room to find the other eating a can of corn. What a weird sight.

Their eyes met for a moment but neither said anything to the other.

Feeling restless in the silence and not tired enough to sleep, Drake went to look around the house.

There was a small bedroom packed with boxes. It kind of looked like someone was trying to pack up.

Looking inside them he could see various things: Photos, clothes and various knick-knacks that had only sentimental value. Drake looked at the one person bed and contemplated.

He didn't really want to sleep in the bed of a stranger but his back would be immensely grateful if he didn't need to lie on the hard floor anymore.

Negaduck looked up as he heard loud scraping from the doorway and saw Darkwing pulling on the mattress of the bed.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Not that it is of any concern to you but I don't really find the floor comfortable. So I brought this."

Negaduck only raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything else.

Darkwing pulled the mattress inside the room and let it fall down to the dusty floor with a loud poof.

Nodding for a job well done he then got the rag off his cardboard and draped it over the mattress.

"There, that's better."

He heard a chuckle come from the other side and glanced at the duck again. Negaduck had finished eating and was only sitting there staring at Darkwing.

"What?"

"Nothin, just enjoying the entertainment you provide."

"Well I am glad you find this whole situation so entertaining! I certainly don't."

Shrugging his shoulders the other only smirked more showing off his sharp teeth.

"You are unbelievable."

"Thank you."

"That was...not a compliment."

"Sure."

Silence as they both just stared at the other.

It was not as unsettling as Darkwing thought it would be, to be this close to his enemy and being kind of civil. What he wouldn't give to know what the other duck was thinking at the moment.

Sighing, he plopped down on his mattress and let his thoughts wander to his home. How was Gosalyn doing? How was Launchpad? Were they looking for him? They must have noticed he was gone by now. Although sometimes he would go on missions that lasted for a few days, but he always informed them of that so they wouldn't worry.

He just hoped they were okay.

Suddenly something hit him in the head making him yell out and look angrily over to Negaduck again. 

"What gives!?"

"You haven't eaten today yet."

Looking down he saw the can which was slowly rolling away and stopping by his feet.

"Since when do you care if I have eaten or not?"

"Being hungry makes you weak and being weak is certain death around here. So stop being a pussy and eat it."

At that precise moment as it always is in films his stomach gave a loud noise of agreement to the food, making the duck blush hard in embarrassment.

Picking up the can he checked what it is and grimaced at the label, beans. Not his favorite but there was no time to be picky. He opened it and got himself a spoon from their stash before digging in.  
It tasted bad being cold like this but if it filled him up and that was all that mattered in the end.

As he finished he lied down feeling satisfied and suddenly tired. A wide yawn stretched across his face with a goofy grin. He was full, he was clean and he was comfy. 

As he slowly drifted off to sleep his eyes landed on the others blurry form and he weirdly didn't feel scared to fall asleep anymore.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Waking up the next morning Drake felt refreshed, sitting up and stretching made the morning even better. As he got up from his makeshift bed he noticed that the other was still lying down and breathing softly. He was turned away from Drake, facing the wall but he looked peaceful.

Getting quietly out of the room he went into the bathroom to freshen up a bit more and to check on the clothes.

Touching them he sighed as they were still pretty damp. Taking off his mask and washing his face with cold water did the trick of waking him up all the way. He dried his face and put his mask back on. He just felt so vulnerable without it.

He drank a few gulps of water from the faucet and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked a bit of a mess but acceptable.

Making his way back inside the living room he quietly searched for something to eat. He found a bag of pretzels that were still edible and made his way out to the kitchen so as not to disturb the other who was still asleep as it seemed.

Sitting down on the kitchen counter since there were no chairs or a table in the house anymore -they used the wood for the windows- he opened the bag and began to snack quietly.

His feet dangled as he kicked them to a beat in his head while looking around and staring at various pictures on the wall. Someone's home. It filled him with sadness that they were just using this house that someone called home at one point. Now it was just left standing here. Who knows where the owners have disappeared to?

He finished half of the bag before he deemed it enough and put the rest on the counter before jumping down.

He stretched and then just stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do with himself. He didn't want to leave the safety of the house alone because even though Negaduck was a criminal, here in this place they had to rely on each other just to survive. It left a weird taste in his mouth but it was what it was.

His feet carried him back to their sleeping quarters and he silently sat back down on his mattress looking at the other.

Negaduck had turned over in his sleep and was now facing in Drake's direction. His face was slack and relaxed as he slept just like the other morning where Drake studied his face. Now that he looked at the other more he noticed how he was slightly curled up as he slept. His body would usually be covered by the flimsy cape which was still damp and drying in the bathroom. His feathers were a little darker and more ruffled at certain places. Some of them missing and others looking like they have been burned.

Negaduck definitely didn't take care of himself enough and lacked basic hygiene to which Drake just made a slightly disgusted face but also kind of felt sorry for him. He shook his head to get rid of these weird emotions and thoughts and stood up to stare outside from the same place the other did the day before and waited for him to wake up.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

They had been walking for a while now and although they managed to find some more food, a first aid kit and some pain meds they still didn't know how they would get back home. It was making Drake a little irritated and on edge.

It didn't take long until this finally led to bad luck on their part.

They were sneaking inside a mall and looking around for anything to grab. It was really dark as the lights were not working anymore. They silently crept next to the walls when suddenly Drakes left foot got caught up in something making him fall forward crashing into the other duck. They both let out a loud yelp as they landed on the floor along with whatever made him stumble in the first place. The loud bang and their combined yell echoed loudly in the empty building.

Negaduck just groaned as he was lying face down on the floor with Darkwing sprawled out on top of him.

"What the fuck?!" He wheezed out from under the other.

"Shit! Sorry I...my leg got caught in something!"

"Just get off me!"

With a nod and a red face Darkwing quickly got up but lost his footing again as he backed away and landed on his butt.

Negaduck got off the ground and turned to face the other.

"Can you be any more clumsy?"

Darkwing was about to retaliate when he heard a moan from above him as something slimy fell on his shoulders.

His eyes widened as he slowly looked up to stare at a half-eaten face that was staring back at him with one remaining eye and a drooling mouth.

After that everything happened in a blink of an eye.

The zombie opened its mouth to bite down and Darkwing could only stare as a baseball bat with nails hit the undead in the face, knocking him away from the duck.

Negaduck stepped in between Darkwing and the zombie and growled in a menacing way.

"If anyone is going to kill him it will be me! Not some drooling undead motherfucker!"

Drake just sat on the ground, his vision swimming as the adrenalin was slowly leaving his body. His arms and legs shook as his breathing slowed down.

Nega went over to the zombie that was still groaning on the ground and finished it off with a few hits to the head.

Making sure that it was indeed dead, now for real, he went back and kneeled in front of the still shaking duck.

"Did it bite you?" He asked and Darkwing could only shake his head, not trusting his voice yet.

"Good. Come on, we need to leave. This was not exactly a quiet encounter."

Nodding, Drake tried getting up but his legs were too wobbly and wouldn't obey him.

"I-I can't…"

Negaduck only stared at him and Darkwing could see the wheels turning in his head.

It didn't take him long to come to a solution as he bent down, showed his bloody baseball bat in the others hands and took Darkwing in his arms bridal style.

"W-what are you doing?! Put me down!"

"Shut up and stay still! You would slow us down and I don't plan on dying here!"

"Still, this is not necessary!"

"Be quiet!"

The moaning that echoed around them made sure that Darkwing clamped his beak shut and looked around in the semi-dark.

Negaduck moved fast and steady and Drake was impressed that he wasn't even out of breath. He felt a bit jealous of the physical strength and endurance the other demonstrated.

As they finally found a way out of the building it was becoming dark outside.

"Can you walk?"

"Y-yeah."

Nodding the other slowly lowered him to the ground and Darkwing noticed that he had been holding on pretty tight to Negaduck.

As they made the long walk back to their hideout and if they walked a little closer to each other none of them voiced it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update!! It's fun to write this :)
> 
> Also, please check out the end of chapter two. I updated it with art I made. >w<  
> It is not the best and I used a ton of reference for Darkwing but I hope you like it.

A week went by since they have been trapped in this place. Seven days of trying to survive but not getting closer to finding a way back home. It was not looking good.

Darkwing sighed again as he turned around on his mattress, sleep evaded him. He would usually just fall asleep each night from how tired he always was but today that just wouldn't happen.

Negaduck of course already fell asleep and was snoring away on the other side. Yeah he could also rival the sound of a chainsaw. This made Drake snort in amusement.

He found himself staring at the other duck a lot since they had been trapped in this place. He behaved a lot different from when they had been at each other's throats back home. Since that one time in the mall where Nega saved his life, Darkwing could literally feel the air between them change to something different. The other duck was kind of nice to Darkwing now. Well nice was a term Drake used lightly here. The other still called him names and would irritate him and curse a lot but still, it was somehow different.

And Darkwing had to admit it was better than being alone in this place. Negaduck didn't complain a lot like Drake and he took everything in stride like he was used to it. And maybe he was.

If they did somehow find a way back home, how would things be between them? Certainly they could not just go back to how things used to be. It was a conundrum and it kept Drake awake.

He closed his eyes and willed himself to not think about anything. After a while he did manage to fall into a restless sleep.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

It must have been several hours later when he was suddenly awake again. He opened his eyes but it was still dark outside. Why was he awake? His sleepy brain knew that something woke him up, but he couldn't remember what, so he just tried to fall back asleep.

There it was again, he did hear something. His eyes flew open again and his heart started pounding in his chest. Adrenalin woke him up faster as he sat up and strained his eyes to see in the darkness. His eyes went to the boarded up window then to the door leading to the dining area. He held his breath as he waited for the sound again. He didn't have to wait long and now he also knew where it was coming from.

His face instantly turned from showing fear to utter confusion as he looked at the other duck on the other side of the room. If anyone had told him in the past that Negaduck had nightmares and whimpered in his sleep then Darkwing would have just laughed and told them to see a doctor. Because these sad sounds couldn't be from Negaduck, he refused to believe it. But there it was again, clear as day.

He debated going back to sleep and just ignoring the other completely. It was not his place to comfort the other, nor did he think it would be appropriate. Negaduck would definitely not want the pity and help if he woke up. But something was not letting him just sit there and do nothing while someone near him was in obvious distress. It just pulled at his heartstrings. And the tiny whimpers were so heart wrenching that it made him clench his fists in sympathy. What nightmares plagued someone like Negaduck? He would most likely never find out the answer to that.

Another whimper made him finally stand up and slowly and silently move to the other. His face was illuminated by a few rays of the full moon that was peeking in through the cracks and Darkwing could see his face scrunched as if he were in pain.

Drake crouched next to the sleeping form and hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out with one hand and putting it on the others shoulder. Slowly he started moving it in a calming motion. He was used to doing this since he adopted Gosalyn, the little girl sometimes had nightmares herself. This method always seemed to work for her.

He hoped the other would not wake up because explaining this was not something Drake wanted to do in the middle of the night. There was also no telling how Negaduck would react if he saw Darkwing crouched so close to him in the dark. He would probably lash out so it was best if these theories stayed just that.

More whimpers came from the sleeping duck and Darkwing grimaced in obvious sympathy. He started making shushing sounds to help calm the other. If anyone told him something like this would happen in his life he would have laughed his butt off.

After a few minutes of doing this the other's face slowly released the tension and looked calm. The whimpers also stopped and Darkwing released a breath he was holding. Standing up slowly he took one last calculated look at the sleeping form before turning around and going back to his side of the room. Lying down he turned away from the other and closed his eyes in an effort to fall back asleep totally missing the eyes that were staring at him in the silence of the night.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Morning came too soon and Drake moaned as the sun finally reached his face waking him up to start the day. He opened his eyes and blinked sleepily up at the ceiling staring at the numerous cracks that decorated it.

He stretched long making his back and shoulders pop in a satisfying way before yawning wide and sitting up. As he rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes he looked around the room but the other was nowhere in sight. He heard sounds coming from the kitchen and figured the other was eating something.

His own stomach reminded him that food would be a good idea at the moment so he stood up and joined Negaduck in the kitchen. They locked eyes the moment he entered but neither one said anything for a few seconds. Darkwing was the one to then finally break the silence.

"Mornin." He said in a raspy voice moving over to the counter to grab something. They moved the food in here and brought in some chairs and a table from another house nearby. Negaduck didn't really care but Drake wanted to be able to sit at a table. He could at least pretend that they weren't in this hellhole.

The other just let out a grunt as an answer and Darkwing knew that he would not get more as a greeting. With a sigh he sat down and opened his can of peaches and started eating the fruit slices. He moaned at the sweet taste of it and licked his lips from the sugary nectar. He could feel eyes watching him and looked up but Negaduck was turned away and facing the counter. Huh. He could have sworn.

Shrugging he continued with his breakfast and finished off the delicious stuff by drinking every last drop before closing his eyes in contentment. His belly was full.

Looking at the other again he drummed his fingers on the table in thought

"We should check out that place again."

"We already did, there is nothing there."

"I know we did but maybe...maybe today we would find some kind of clue how to get back."

"The portal dropped us out there and then disappeared. I doubt we would find anything there. That is not how portals work you dunce."

"Back to the insults I see. And here I thought we can be civil."

"Whatever do you mean?" Came the mocking voice but Negaduck was smirking.

And they were back to nonsensical banter again. Darkwing fought to keep the smirk off his own face. At least this was the same as it was back home.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

At the end they did go back there but as Nega said they found nothing that would help them escape from here. 

Drake of course took this harder and sulked around as they were on the search for stuff once again.

"I don't understand. We have plenty of food."

"Now, yes. But it can run out quickly if you don't pay attention. Starving is not a nice thing princess. If you don't want to experience it then I suggest you stop complaining and help me look."

This comment made Drake shut his beak as he again found out a little bit of information about the other. The way he said it. He experienced starvation first hand and didn't feel the need to hide this. One more thing to put away and analyze later he supposed.

They searched through a few more houses but didn’t find many useful things. Most of these were already barren and everything edible was taken.

Nega suggested they go back to the mall but Drake refused to set foot in the dark place again after the last time. He didn’t want to get attached in that closed off space. Even thinking about it made goosebumps appear on his arms.

They continued their search for hours and hours and in the end both were frustrated for the little they found for the amount that they walked. They would have to go further away each day as it seemed to be able to find something. This did not sit well with Drake.

As they made their way back to their little place Nega suddenly pushed Drake into an alleyway and shushed him. It gave Darkwing a strong feeling of deja vu.

They heard voices speaking and they peeked from the alleyway to their hideout. One person was outside the door being on the lookout and who knows how many were inside, probably stealing what they managed to find so far.

Drake instantly felt relieved to find others that were alive and he wanted to go out and greet them but he was held back by the other duck.

“What are you doing? They are not zombies.” muttered Drake while staring at Negaduck with a questioning expression.

“They are worse. They have guns and they don’t know us.”

“Guns?” Sure enough as Drake looked again he saw the gun the person outside was holding and he gulped audibly.

“They are stealing our shit! Fuck!”

“Can’t we reason with them? We have to try.”

“I would advise against that.”

“You are just being paranoid!”

“And you are too easy to trust everyone! Think first with that big head of yours!”

“I think I heard something!”

The two bickering ducks instantly shut up and Nega pushed Drake to be flush against the brick wall. Darkwing let out a small yelp which made the other survivor point the gun in their direction.

“Who’s there? Come out! I will shoot your brains out!”

“Shit.” muttered Negaduck but neither he nor Darkwing moved.

“What’s going on?” asked another voice but Nega didn’t look to check how many there were.

“Someone is in that alleyway. I heard them.”

The two ducks could hear shuffling feet coming closer to where they were hiding. Negaduck could feel Drake's breaths coming out in short bursts as his hand was still on the others chest, pushing him to the wall.

As they came closer Nega knew they would be discovered so he moved to be in front of Darkwing as his eyes narrowed in a do not fuck with me way.

Their eyes met and 3 guns were instantly pointed at the two ducks. This was no game, these fuckers meant business, that much was obvious. One bad move and they were done for.

Drake peeked from behind him and looked at the three birds who were much larger than them and looking intimidating. It made Drake shudder.

“Who are you?”

Negaduck scoffed before answering.

“We are the ones you are stealing shit from assholes.” Well not the best way to start the conversation but he was pissed.

“Well too bad, now it’s our shit.” Smirked one and pushed the end of his gun up to Negas beak.

“You got a problem with that little duck?”

Gritting his teeth Negaduck did everything in his might not to lash out at the other since doing so would mean instant death. He was not keen on that.

Darkwing tried to help the situation.

“Hey, no need for that. We are not enemies here.”

“Huh look at that. You two came from a masquerade or some shit? What’s with the masks?”

“None of your business fucker!”

A moment later the butt end of the gun connected with his face and with a grunt he landed on the ground in front of Drake. Looking up at his attacker he just spit out blood and growled. The one who hit him bent down and tore the mask from his face letting it fall to the ground before doing the same to Drake who was on his knees next to Nega.

“Wow, are you two twins? You sure look alike.”

“Let’s take them with us.”

“Why the fuck would we do that?”

“I just like them.” said one of the three while licking his lips. It made Drake shudder as his breathing became ragged, catching on to the implications. By Negaduck’s loud growl he also knew what the other meant.

Before anything else could happen one of the three survivors let out a pain filled scream and everyone turned to look at him. A zombie was crawling on the floor and biting his leg with blood going everywhere. The other two cursed and raised their gun to shoot the undead in the head but it was too late.

“FUCK! It bit me!” Yelled the injured bird and looked up to come face to face with the end of a gun. His eyes widened for a moment before a bullet was released into his head as well. He fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Darkwing’s eyes were full of terror as he stared at the bloody scene. He couldn’t look away from the morbid death. Why was this happening?

“Well, he was kind of a whiner.” His buddy said as he nudged the dead body with a foot.

“He should be thankful I didn’t let him turn.”

The other just grimaced but didn’t say anything.

Negaduck chose this moment to quickly get back up to his feet and punch one of them in the gut with a fist before picking his baseball bat up from the ground and nailing the other one across the jaw. Both of the bigger birds moaned in pain and fell to the ground.

“Run!” Yelled Negaduck as he grabbed Darkwing’s hand and pulled him out of the alleyway in an escape.

Darkwing followed the other in a daze as he still couldn’t quite believe that all of this was happening. A sudden loud bang and a grunt from the other duck brought him back to his senses. He gasped for breath as his adrenalin kicked high and they both ran as fast as they could.

After about 5 minutes of constant running Negaduck finally pulled the other inside a dark building and pushed him behind a couch. Drake obeyed without any fuss.

They crouched in the darkness both of them panting from exertion as they came down from their adrenalin high. Darkwing could feel his legs and arms shaking and his head felt a little light. Good thing they were not standing anymore because he would have fainted.

A small grunt made him look at the other who was crouched next to him with a pained expression on his face. Only then did Darkwing notice the blood on the others' clothes. His eyes widened and he fully turned to face Negaduck.

“What happened?!” He asked frantically as he tried to decide what to do.

“Don’t worry about it Dorkwing.”

“How can you say that?! You are hurt! How?”

The other let out a breathy laugh before answering.

“The bullet hit me when we were running away. One of those f-fuckers got up sooner than I anticipated.”

“You were shot?!” Darkwing could hear his voice take on a hysterical edge but he didn’t care because the other got fucking shot.

“Don’t yell you idiot. They might be near. We have to stay low for a w-while.”

“What should I do?!”

“I am...losing a lot of blood so...stopping that should come first. I think it went through so that's at least a good thing. You d-don’t have to fish it out of me.” He let out a chuckle at the face the other was making.

“This is no time to joke around!”

“I just love to...annoy you.”

Drake only huffed as he pulled Negaduck’s pullover to reveal the wound. The surrounding area of feathers was bloody and more and more blood was seeping out of the wound at an alarming rate. Darkwing grimaced and looked up to Negaduck’s face again. He didn’t find the two eyes staring at him anymore. They were closed and no matter how hard he shook the other duck, they wouldn’t open.


	4. Chapter 4

Drake's hands shook as he looked over the unconscious duck lying on the floor in the unknown dark house they decided to hide inside. Just as Negaduck suggested the first thing he did was try and make the blood flow stop. For this he had to take off the other ducks clothes and hold it tightly to the wound so it would stop the bleeding. 

This worked for a few minutes but after a while it soaked through and wouldn't help anymore. With a distressed whimper Darkwing tore off his own pullover and bunched it up to put that to the bleeding bullet hole wound. After a few minutes of adding pressure like that it seemed to work and the bleeding seemed to stop.

He wished he had his cape or mask. Those would surely also help to tie them to the wound. He however didn't have them. He couldn't just leave the dirty blood-soaked clothes on the wound, it was a sure thing for infection.

Looking around he quietly looked into each room and through the drawers and wardrobes until he found a few towels and a bed sheet. These would have to do for now since he didn't really have anything else. He went back to the duck and noticed that Negaduck was breathing labored and was sweating a lot, his feathers soaking through and getting darker.

He tore the white bed sheet into a long thin piece and looked back at the wound by slowly and carefully removing his pullover and throwing it on the floor with the others bloody clothes. He winced in sympathy at the gruesomeness and put one towel under the other and another one on his front, this way covering both the entry and exit point of the bullet.

Taking the bed sheet he began to meticulously bandage the torso of the injured duck. It took him a while and a lot of maneuvering around because Negaduck was completely limp in his arms and though he did not weigh much, it was still hard to do.

As he finished he tied the ends together and pulled tight to make sure it would hold. Satisfied with what he accomplished he finally let himself fall back on his butt and let out a shaky breath. He could feel sweat roll down his forehead and without thinking much he wiped his brows with the backside of his hand, only then noticing the blood that covered both his hands and now probably his forehead as well.

His hands shook as everything that happened since they landed here finally caught up with him and tears rolled down his face. He let himself cry silently and alone for a long time before sniffling one last time and wiping his eyes. No more of this! He was Darkwing Duck! Tears would not solve anything here.

Looking around the room for the first time without panic he took in his surroundings. The house Negaduck pulled them in seemed relatively untouched but there were a few things missing here and there.

He needed to have a system. First thing to do was to check around the house for any possible ways to escape. He didn't want to be cornered in here. He found a door that led to a garden from the kitchen. Nodding his head he decided this was good enough. Second thing was to move the other duck away from the couch. He was too much in the open if someone walked into the house.

Looking at Negaduck, Darkwing contemplated for a moment before carefully picking him up bridal style and carrying him into the bedroom where he saw a big bed earlier in his search for towels.

He put the other slowly onto the cold bed and as carefully as he could he pulled the sheets from under him. He shook it a bit to get rid of the dust before cowering Nega with it. He did the same with his pillow and then he just stood there for a moment again looking at the face of the evil duck. He looked calm for now but Drake didn't know how long that would last for. They didn't have any of their stuff that they managed to find in the last days scavenging around.

He remembered that they found a full pack of painkillers and antibiotics but it was sadly lost. He sighed and decided to go looking around more, maybe he had luck and there were some kind of pills around.

Searching in the bathroom and then in all of the kitchen cabinets didn't bring anything. Finally as he looked around inside a closet he found a box hidden in the corner and couldn't believe his luck when a bunch of pills popped out from it. Someone was a druggie maybe before all of this chaos went down.

Searching through them he found multiple painkillers, some stronger than others. He would of course have to wait for the other duck to wake up to take them but this would surely help.

As he looked around some more he made sure that he stayed silent and he didn't go near the windows. It has been multiple hours since they ran away and it was getting really dark and he had to admit it was really scary with every potential threat lurking outside. This place was not good against zombies but he could not risk hammering away because that would attract the goons with the guns.

He sat down next to the bed and just let his head fall on his knees in silent misery as he waited for the other to wake up.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Drake slowly opened his eyes as he felt something brush his cheek. He didn't mean to fall asleep but he definitely did and for a longer time if the crink in his neck was any indication. Raising his head with a stifled moan he noticed the pair of eyes watching him from the bed and seeing the arm move back to lay beside its owner.

He jumped up in a tangled mess of limbs and almost bit his tongue.

"You're awake!" He said a bit louder but he didn't care at the moment too happy that Negaduck looked a bit better.

"Yeah I am...is this my get well present?"

Darkwing only looked at him with questioning eyes. Maybe he hurt his head as well?

"Huh?"

Negaduck smirked and looked him up and down, his eyelids falling lower in a somewhat sultry look.

Finally noticing what the other meant, he blushed a furious shade of red from his cheeks to his neck.

"No! It's not! I had to use my clothes to stop the bleeding you idiot! You know, to save your life!"

"And you didn't find any replacement?"

"I...forgot." he muttered embarrassed and played with a loose feather on his arm before plucking it out and throwing it on the floor.

"It was better when you were unconscious and didn't speak."

Closing his eyes Negaduck chuckled quietly, trying not to move too much.

"You know that I am just teasing...ungh." 

"Don't move! I managed to bandage you up so don't make it loosen. I also found some painkillers. You should take some. It will help I hope."

"Hmm, you found these here?"

"Yeah I searched through the whole house and found them stashed away in the closet."

Darkwing helped him take the pills and tried to give him some water to wash it down but the other refused.

"Can't sit up."

"I carried your injured ass in here so I can help you drink some water."

Smirking some more about the choice words he allowed Drake to put a hand behind his back and slowly help him sit up a bit. He stayed behind him for support as he raised the glass of water with his other hand. Negaduck drank the whole glass and let out a sigh as he finished. Darkwing lowered him back carefully.

"You did a pretty good job bandaging me up."

"Yeah, well I used what I could find."

A comfortable silence settled between them before Drake stood up and went over to the closet.

"I'll just search for something to wear."

"Spoiling my fun so soon?"

"Just shut up."

Nega laughed as Drake looked through the clothes that the owner left here. He found a nice knitted red pullover and pulled it on. It was a bit large and he had to roll up the sleeves a bit for his fingers to be visible. It was soft and clean and that's all that mattered for him.

"This color suits you. You should wear red more often."

"Well it's not really my color but I guess I can make it work for now, better than not wearing anything."

"We don't share the same opinions about that."

"I should have let you bleed out." He deadpanned which made Negaduck laugh.

"Naaah you wouldn't! You are Mr. Goody Two-shoes."

"I thought you were gonna die! I panicked when you were unconscious!"

Negaduck instantly stopped laughing and looked surprised for a moment before a more sincere smile spread across his face. Darkwing had NEVER seen the other like this.

"Thanks for saving my ass Dark."

"You are welcome."

Silence settled over the small bedroom as both birds just studied the other's face in the moonlight that came through the window. It was kind of a nice atmosphere and Darkwing could feel as his fears melted away now that Negaduck was awake and he wasn't alone with his thoughts. This realization surprised him a bit but he allowed the feeling to spread inside him. Yes, he needed the other duck in this place, this place where they both landed and were trying to survive. Darkwing knew that he could never do this alone. He allowed himself to rely on the other and Negaduck trusted him and protected him multiple times in the past days.

A yawn escaped him before he could stop himself and he looked around the room for something to lie on. He did not want to sleep sitting up anymore because his neck would surely kill him.

Negaduck watched the duck search around for pillows and sheets to put on the ground before he coughed to make Drake look up at him with raised eyebrows.

"You can sleep on the bed."

"W-wha but you're in bed and you are injured. I can't just…"

"And I am STAYING in bed. Just lay down on the other side, it's big enough for the two of us."

Drake looked like he was contemplating for a moment but after a few seconds he shook his head.

"I don't think…"

"Just shut the fuck up and get in bed!"

Looking startled by the other's voice Darkwing just stared before finally nodding slowly.

He moved to the other side while Negaduck watched him on his side of the bed. He sat down before snuggling under the blankets and letting out a tired sigh.

"It's comfy." He said in a quiet whisper too embarrassed to face the other.

Negaduck just smiled knowingly but didn't say anything more as he waited for Darkwing to fall asleep. He had to stay awake while the other slept. It was not exactly safe in this place and he was unconscious for a long time, but hopefully no one would disturb them here.

As he finally heard the long breaths that indicated that Darkwing was asleep he pulled the blankets away and observed the crude but effective bandaging skills from the other.

He knew Darkwing would never let him die, even if they were enemies he was just too good for that. And Negaduck did not want to admit it, even to himself but he kind of liked that they were constantly together. Even if Drake was in one room and Nega was in another, they did not stay away from each other for long.

The evil duck knew that the other one also noticed this but neither of them voiced it or acknowledged what it meant. They were far from being friends but they weren't exactly enemies anymore, at least not here.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The next day when Drake woke he instantly began to fuss about his companion. He would ask him if he was in any pain, if he was thirsty, or if he needed anything else.

Negaduck did not ask for anything but he did start to feel kind of uncomfortable and the other must have noticed his constant movement.

"I told you not to move. What do you want? Does it hurt?"

Sighing a bit annoyed, Nega only shook his head no.

"Then what is it?"

"I gotta take a piss, if you really wanna know."

"Wha?"

"A piss. You know, go to the little boys’ room."

"I know what you meant! It's just...I didn't think about that."

"Yes well, this is not sunshine and roses for me either so yeah…"

"Ok, well...it's understandable. I'll help you get up and go to the bathroom."

"Sure, yeah whatever."

Drake maneuvered the other off the bed and into a standing position. The other just grimaced and clamped his beak tightly shut to stifle his pain filled sounds. They walked slowly to the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom and came face to face with the toilet.

Both of them hesitated a bit as they thought on how to proceed and neither one dared to look at the others face. If they did they would have noticed the equally bright redness that appeared there from embarrassment.

"Ok, just...can you hold yourself up on the wall?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, I'll just be outside of the door and...just...tell me when you are finished."

With that said Drake waited until he leaned against the wall before quickly exiting the bathroom. Negaduck was not someone who was easily embarrassed but this made even him uncomfortable. But he just had to go. He was going to fucking kill that asshole that shot him that was sure.

As instructed he told Darkwing that he finished and they made their way back to bed. Drake looked at him for a moment as he was lying in bed again before going back to the closet and searching for something the other could wear. He found a pink top with unicorns on it that he showed the other with a shit eating grin and was rewarded with a loud "No fucking way in hell!"

In the end he helped Negaduck pull on a black hoodie before he sat back on the end of the bed with a loud sigh.

"What are we going to do now?"

Negaduck remained silent as he studied the duck just sitting there with an oversized pullover looking at the floor like a lost puppy.

"We lay low for a few days. I don't know how many more fuckers there are out there with those three, heh, well two."

"What about our stuff?"

"Forget it. It's gone."

"But...they can't just…"

"Well they did."

"Maybe they were just...confused? Maybe if we try and talk to them…"

"Haven't you learned anything?! They don't wanna talk! They would have taken us to fuck knows where and would have made us their bitches!"

Darkwing flinched as Negaduck became louder at the end.

"Yeah, I know you understood as well as I have what that one wanted, so do not try and defend them. We stay the fuck away from everyone! We cannot trust anyone."

Drake nodded reluctantly looking sadder.

"I just need a few days to rest and then we are getting out of here. We need to find a safer place because this one is too close to our other one. They will definitely come back there and wait for us."

"Okay."

Sighing in frustration Nega just scratched his head. Darkwing was too good for a place like this, but he just had to learn not to trust people so easily. And Negaduck was not afraid to say his opinion about it to the other. They would have to stay here and hope for the best.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Drake felt miserable. It was the third day they were stuck in this house and the hunger was getting to him. He wasn’t allowed to leave the house alone to search for things, and to be honest he didn’t really want to go alone. He was scared out there and he was scared to leave the injured duck on his own here. It was a no win either way.

His tummy gave another loud gurgle demanding food. He grimaced and put his hand there to somehow help chase away the empty feeling. Of course it was not working. Negaduck didn’t look like he was hungry, and would occasionally glance at Darkwing when his tummy decided to be a bit louder.

“Sorry.”

He apologized sheepishly to the other looking away embarrassed.

Negaduck did not react, only stared at him with a calculating look.

His wound was healing nicely. Drake made sure to check on it each day and clean it the best he could. The feathers would never be the same with the red stain but Negaduck didn’t care about it.

Suddenly getting up from the bed with a grunt made the other look at him in worry.

“You shouldn’t get up that quickly. You could reopen the wound!”

“Let’s get out of here.”

“What? Now?”

“Yeah, now. It will take a while until we find a good place and some more time until we can find food.”

“But what about your injury?”

“I am fine. Don’t worry about me Dark. I am a big boy and I can take care of myself, ok?”

Getting a little frustrated with the tone the other was using Drake only huffed but stood up from the floor where he had been sitting. The little stuff they had was already packed in a little backpack and ready to go anytime they decided. It seemed now was the time.

Darkwing took the bag and flung it onto his shoulders before looking around one last time in their temporary little home. It was time to move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot going on in this one, but the babies need a breather.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer wait. I had a lot going on in my life, not bad things just lots of things XD  
> I also made art for this chapter, you can find it at the end.
> 
> There is not much going on in this chapter I know...but I hope you will like it regardless.

Finding a new place was a lot harder the second time around. They had to walk a lot to get away from this part of town like Negaduck suggested they do, stopping multiple times to rest but they never stayed long in any place. Sometimes they checked a store if they thought something could be still in there.

They found a lot of food and new weapons to use for protecting themselves. Their old ones were left on the street in their hasty escape. They even found a gun with a few bullets but Negaduck said it would only be for emergencies. Darkwing fully agreed with him.

As they walked Drake kept a close eye on the other. He could clearly see that Negaduck was in a lot of pain as would be expected from a gunshot wound. Darkwing was shot once in his vigilante life and it was not a pretty experience.

After the fifth time that the other duck almost fell, Darkwing finally had enough. He stopped suddenly and looked at the other while putting on his no nonsense face.

Nega also stopped as he noticed that the other was not following him anymore.

"What is it?"

"We have to take a longer break."

"No, we are not far enough. We barely walked a few hours."

"You need to rest, I can see that you are in a lot of pain."

"I'm fine. Let's go."

"No! We cannot continue like this. You are barely standing on your feet, don't think I haven't noticed."

Growling lowly Negaduck came to stand in front of the other. Even in his sorry state he looked intimidating and Darkwing had to swallow.

"Start walking!"

"Make me!"

The evil duck's eyes narrowed dangerously at the denial.

"It is not safe here!"

"It is not safe anywhere!"

They stood there face to face on the street and it would have escalated if not for the sinister moans getting closer to them. Negaduck glanced in the direction of the noise and saw the two dozen zombies heading their way.

"Fuck, we were too loud! This is why I said not to stop!"

"Don't make this my fault!"

Looking around Negaduck knew that the houses were not safe against so many zombies. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he grasped Drake's pullover in the front and began running.

"Where are we going to go?"

"Shut up and just follow me!"

Darkwing listened to the other as the threat of being eaten alive took control of his mind. He just wanted to get away and hoped the other duck had a good idea as always.

They ran to an abandoned building and stopped next to the wall outside. Drake looked around before his eyes landed on Negaduck. He didn't even have to voice it as his silent question was answered once the other pointed at the fire escape ladder that led to the roof of the building.

"Help me get the ladder Dark. We won't reach it like this."

"Okay, climb on my shoulders, you can reach it that way."

With little maneuvering they got the ladder and pulled it down before climbing up and then pulling it back up from the ground. They began climbing the stairs higher and higher up. Darkwing looked back down and saw how almost every zombie was standing below, scratching at the wall and looking up at them from the ground with hungry dead eyes.

As they reached the top Negaduck was out of breath and instantly collapsed on the hard floor of the roof.

Drake didn't even hesitate as he kneeled next to him in obvious distress.

"Are you okay? Did the wound reopen? Let me check!"

"I'm fine!" He yelled and swatted at the hands that hovered over his frame. Drake only sighed in defeat as he pulled back.

"Why are you like this? I just want to help."

"I don't need it. I saved your life and you patched me up, we are even."

"What is this? You think I would hold this against you? How stupid can you be?"

Negaduck stayed quiet as Darkwing just continued his tirade.

"I swear to god I could punch you right now for being so thick headed, but I won't stoop so low."

"Says the right person. If I recall correctly that the reason we landed here in the first place is because you just had to follow me."

"It's easy to just blame everything on others. You are really good at that. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy." 

Negaduck looked up at the sarcastic tone.

"Fuck you!"

"W-wha? W-well fuck you too!"

Laughing at the other Negaduck slowly sat up with a slight wince.

"Yeah swearing is not one of your strong points is it?"

"I can swear!"

"Sure ya can."

"I can, I just don't see the need to do it often. Unlike you who swears in every sentence."

"I don't swear in EVERY sentence."

Smirking Darkwing let his backpack drop from his shoulders as he made his way over to the door leading into the building. Trying the door handle he found the door locked. Sighing in disappointment he let the other know of the situation.

"Well at least there is no chance any of those fuckers gets to us that way."

"Yeah I guess you're right."

"We'll stay here until morning. We cannot leave as long as those zombies are down there and this way we get to have a longer break like you wanted."

"I wanted it because of...oh never mind!"

Darkwing sat on the edge of the roof and let his legs dangle like he used to do back in Saint Canard on the tall buildings. His eyes roamed the streets but all he could see was death everywhere.

It made him sad and gloomy.

He swung his feet back and forth as a little breeze ruffled his feathers. If he didn't think about their current situation it would actually be nice sitting here.

As he sat there his thoughts wandered back to his home. How were Gosalyn and Launchpad doing? He wished he could contact them but he didn't know how. Peeking behind himself he found the other resting against the wall of the building. He looked exhausted and frankly Darkwing was surprised he could hold out so long with such an injury. If they had continued on Drake knew the other would have run himself ragged and his healing would take a lot longer.

Looking back to the streets he fiddled with his fingers as his thoughts ran a mile a minute. He knew it was his fault that the other got hurt. If he hadn't insisted on talking with those people they could have gotten away without any harm.

Their stuff would be gone, yeah, but Negaduck would be okay. This left a weird taste in his mouth and although Nega said they were even, Drake didn't feel like they were. He had to be strong now, for both of their sake. He nodded to himself and glanced back again to find the other duck had fallen asleep.

"Not tired my ass." He whispered as he got up and sat down next to him by the wall. For a long while he just stared at the sky. In 2 or 3 hours the sun would be setting and then he could watch the stars. His mind didn't let him stay up for that long. He fell into a restless sleep next to the other.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

It seemed like it was his fate to wake up in the middle of the night by either a strange noise or that he was uncomfortable. Now it was just the cold. The wind picked up and the air got cooler as the sun had set. The previous nights they were always staying inside somewhere and so it was never this cold.

Shivering uncomfortably he pulled his feet tighter to his body and literally tried to do anything to preserve some heat. He thought the knitted pullover would be warm but the holes let the air through and his feet were unprotected and cold.

He sighed irritated that he would probably not be able to go back to sleep at this rate. He hated the cold a lot and often complained about it back home. But unlike there where he could just get a coat or snuggle up under a warm blanket there was none of that here. He just had to deal with it in silence.

He closed his eyes and tried going back to sleep but to add insult to injury his teeth started to chatter and he had to clamp his beak shut to stop it. He didn't want to wake the other. Speaking of the other, Negaduck was perfectly calm and sleeping next to him even through this cold. It baffled Darkwing how someone could be so indifferent to things like this.

His eyes snapped open as he was pulled close to the body sitting next to him by a hand on his shoulder. His face instantly became red as a tomato and he blinked in confused embarrassment.

"What are you doing?" He asked a little short of breath.

"What does it look like? Your shivering was annoying me. I can't sleep with you fidgeting next to me like that. So I am sharing body heat." Came the grumbling reply from Negaduck.

It was not a lot of contact. Just Negaduck’s hand on his shoulder and back, their sides touching as Drake was pulled close to lean on the other. His feet were still out in the open but all of a sudden he was not cold anymore. On the contrary, everything felt too hot now. He could feel his face giving off heat and he would not be surprised if steam started rising from it.

It was weird but...oddly calming in a way? He could not really explain it and he didn't really want to think about it.

He could pull away and insist that he was fine and didn't need any help, especially like this, but something held him back. The grip of the hand on his shoulder was soft, letting him know that he could pull away if he wanted to. Again this weirdly soft side of Negaduck that Drake had never witnessed prior to coming to this dimension. It was like he was a totally different person when he was like this.

Drake decided that he kind of liked when the other was not acting like a jerk, so he just let his tense shoulders relax as he let himself fully lean and melt into the body next to him. It was nice and warm and smelled kind of like a flowery softener, probably the hoodie, he deduced. But there was another scent under there that he recognized as blood and something else he was just unfamiliar with. 

"Thank you." Whispered Darkwing and he meant it. This was a nice thing for the other to do even if his motives were selfish.

"Mhm, now shut up and sleep. We need to walk a lot tomorrow."

"Okay."

With that both of them stayed still and quiet and it didn't take very long for them to fall asleep basically cuddled next to each other.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Darkwing felt really comfortable and didn't want to wake up at all. He wanted to stay in this phase where you know you are about to wake up but you are still kind of sleeping. As he slowly opened his eyes he blinked a few times and instantly became confused. The first thing he registered in his brain was that he was lying down and not sitting. The second was the soft rise and fall of the chest he was full on staring at from said position.

That's when it dawned on him. His head was laying in Negaduck’s lap! Said duck's hands lay comfortably on his waist and the other at the back of his head. Both arms were slack, like he was being held for a while before they fell away as the other slept.

When did this happen? How come he didn't notice this when it happened? Did the other notice?

A lot of questions ran around in Darkwing’s mind as he began to panic. Gulping he slowly raised his head a bit to get a look at the other's face and found two eyes staring back into his. Negaduck was silent as their eyes met and it was like he was analyzing everything Drake was doing. Darkwing noticed the other doing this often in the last couple of days. Just silently observing him without any shame at being caught in the act.

Neither of them said anything and Drake even held his breath before Negaduck finally spoke.

"Sleep well?"

"I...yeah...I did." Muttered Darkwing and slowly raised himself into a sitting position.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sleep on you. I must have just...fallen in my sleep. Did I hurt you?"

"No." Was the curt answer as Negaduck got to his feet and dusted his butt off like nothing happened.

"We should continue moving though. We slept in pretty late."

"Oh, why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You needed the rest.” He said and walked to the edge of the building before turning back around with a smirk

“You also looked very cute cuddling up to me like that.”

“Huh?”

Negaduck only smirked more as he looked down at the fire escape they used to get up here yesterday. There were still a few zombies left down on the streets but there weren’t as many and they were scattered around. He deemed it okay to leave that way with a slight nod of his head.

“Okay, we need to get going Dark. If we want to get out of the city we should keep moving.”

“You want to leave the city? Where are we going?” Asked Darkwing, ignoring the previous course of their conversation.

“Yeah, it is just not safe here. Big cities usually mean lots of people and that means lots of zombies. Since we know we can’t go back home at the place we landed at, there is no reason why we can’t leave.”

“I mean, yeah that makes sense but still. We could just use a different building and make it secure like we did with the first one.”

"No, it's too dangerous. We don't know how many more of those idiots there are out there and they will be searching for us. They are not afraid to kill one of their own so guess what they will do to us."

"Ok, i-if you think that's for the best. I don't have any better ideas."

Nodding Negaduck got his backpack and waited for Drake to get his before they started to descend to the ground. The zombies that were near did not see them and just wandered lazily around. It was easy for the two ducks to stealthily get away from there once they landed on the ground.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

They really needed to walk a lot to get out of the city. It was early afternoon when they arrived at an intersection that presented them with multiple options on how to continue. Drake for his part just wanted to sit down for a bit. For how cold it was during the night it sure got warm during the day and Drake could feel the sweat roll down on his back, it was unpleasant.

Negaduck studied the signs as Darkwing took the opportunity to sit down in the shadows and drink a bit of water from a bottle they snatched from somewhere. It did not take long for the other duck to join him as well.

"Fucking heat. This is why I prefer nighttime."

"Yeah, me too."

"Hmm I thought you would like the sun. You know good guys vs bad guys. Light and Dark and all that crap."

"And you forget who you are talking to. I am not called Darkwing for no reason you know. I like the night."

"Silly me, how could I forget?"

Laughing lightly Drake smacked the other on the shoulder.

"Stop being a jerk!"

"Never."

Darkwing laughed again as Nega just smirked. It was like he thought it an accomplishment to make the other duck laugh, it made Drake feel kind of fuzzy on the inside.

"You figured out which way to go?"

"Yeah, we are still a few miles away from leaving the city but we are getting more into the rural area. This should be less crowded."

Nodding Drake just gulped down a bit more before handing the water over to the other who drank from it without another thought. Together they finished the bottle in minutes.

After a few more minutes of cooling down in the shadows Nega stood up again and put his hand out for the other to help him to his feet. Darkwing took it with a small "thanks" and they continued walking along the road.

After a few more hours of constant walking both of them were covered in sweat and the sun was beginning to go down on the horizon. With it came the small relief from the heat but it also brought with it nighttime which Drake was not looking forward to.

Negaduck also started to look around for someplace where they could lay low for the night but nothing caught his attention. Well they still had 2 or 3 hours until it was completely dark. It was not much time but they would find something until then Drake was sure.

Suddenly Negaduck stopped and whipped his head around in the direction they just came from. The sudden movement made Darkwing look at him in alarm and turn into the exact same direction. He was about to ask what the other was looking at when he also heard the noise. It was a car. Speeding in their direction on the road they were on.

They both started running off the road to hide behind the nearest fence. It wasn’t the best but they didn’t have much time to find a better place. The car was coming closer and closer to where they were and both of them ducked even lower to the ground.

Nega cursed under his breath as Drake just listened for the sounds as he tried to calm his breathing.

The noise of the engine was very loud now and they knew the vehicle was just where they had been standing moments ago. Luckily it didn’t stop and sped past them without slowing down.

They stayed in their hiding spot for a few minutes more even after the sounds grew distant. Letting out a slow breath Nega raised himself up from the floor and looked around letting the other know it was clear.

Darkwing just gasped as he tried to make his beating heart slow down to a normal pace. It was alarming how fast he panicked at the thought of those men finding them.

“Come on, let’s find someplace to lay low for the night. I don’t want to wander out here if they decide to come back.”

“Who were they?”

Shrugging Nega just stood up and walked over to the row of houses they had to stop at.

“I don’t know and I don’t care to find out. Now help me look for a place that we can barricade ourselves into.”

With one final look in the direction that the car has vanished into Drake only sighed before following the other duck inside the house to investigate. Everything just became more and more complicated.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait!!!!!
> 
> I got writers block but today I overcame it and finished the chapter.
> 
> Warning for gruesome depictions in this chapter. Although its a fic about zombies, so what did you expect XD

The house they decided to stay at was small but perfect for what they needed it for. Together they barricaded the doors and windows and made a comfy bed out of the sofa in the living room.

This was much better than sleeping outside in the cold on some random roof.

Darkwing walked around inside the house to search for whatever he could find that could be useful. At the end he came back to the other empty handed and found the duck already lying on the sofa with his arm on his tummy where his gunshot wound was.

"Are you in pain?"

"It's fine."

"You should take more painkillers." Darkwing said as he was already rummaging through his bag for said pills.

"Here take it and don't make a fuss out of it."

Negaduck only grumbled but took the pill from the other without any protests and swallowed it dry making the other duck grimace in disgust.

"You should let me change the bandages."

"I said it's fine."

"No it's not. Wounds like these need to be clean or they could get infected. Just let me help you dumbass!"

"Fine, knock yourself out." He said as he pulled his hoodie up to reveal his tummy and the bandages.

Darkwing kneeled next to him and began to unwind the cloth that he used. As he got more and more off, it became bloodier and Drake worried about how the wound might look like now.

As the last of the sheet fell away he winced at the sight. The feathers around the wound stood in disarray and were coated with various colors of red. A lot of blood was dry and flaky and the skin looked really irritated and even a bit hot to the touch.

"This looks bad. You should have let me look at it sooner. You can't just ignore it like this."

"Something like this won't kill me."

Sighing in irritation Drake looked at the other with a disapproving stare and stood up to get some supplies from his bag, a bowl of water and some rags that he found.

Getting on his knees again next to the other he took the rag and dipped it in the cool water before instructing the other to lay down.

Negaduck did that without complaint and stared at the ceiling of the old house with a bored expression. Darkwing wondered how he could pretend that he wasn't in any pain like this.

He slowly moved the rag to the wound but started out at the very edge while looking at the others face for any signs of discomfort. Finding none he started cleaning the clotted and dry blood away from the skin and feathers.

The water in the bowl soon became a brownish murky color as the duck continued to clean. His hand suddenly stopped and he pulled away as the other released a sudden pained sound. Darkwing looked up at his face again to find it contorted in a grimace as he bit his beak with a force that must have been painful.

Feeling bad about causing such discomfort to the other but also knowing it had to be done he just hurried up with the task to be done with it as soon as possible. As he moved closer to the actual wound the body of Negaduck shuddered and he let out a whispered "Fuck!" Before biting his lips again.

"Sorry. I am almost finished."

"Just hurry up!"

Nodding and not saying anything more he continued to clean. Nega spat profanities at certain times and his body would sometimes flinch away from his hand but he just went on undeterred.

After a while he was finally satisfied with the way it looked and dropped the now messy cloth into the water. He got up and went to his backpack to get out a few things. They didn't have any disinfectant but they did find alcohol somewhere and Darkwing decided to grab it just for this purpose. It was better than nothing.

Going back he got on his knees and soaked another rag with the alcohol. He held it up and made eye contact with the other duck again.

"This may sting."

"No shit Sherlock. Just get it over with so I can fucking sleep."

"Okay, ready?"

Grumbling in irritation the other was about to answer with something snarky but he didn't get to say it as Darkwing pushed the rag against the bullet wound. Both his hands suddenly had a death grip on the couch cushions and he shut his eyes and beak incredibly tight. Drake could swear that he heard a slight crack.

Gulping slowly he looked with sympathy at the duck who was in obvious pain and whispered "sorry" again and again as he dabbed the cloth on the wound.

He took it away after he was satisfied with it and threw the now bloody rag on the floor next to the other ones. Getting up he searched in his bag for something he could use to bandage it up again. They didn't find any first aid kits or any bandages so a torn up sheet would have to do. He made sure that the clothing was clean.

Turning back his eyes landed on the now unconscious form of the other duck and he stood there for a long moment just staring at his face. He was still wearing a slight frown and he was covered in sweat. Just as he did before, Darkwing wrapped him up as carefully as he could while the other remained oblivious. He only occasionally let out a slight whimper when he was jostled too much.

Drake knew that the other must have been in constant pain but was very good at hiding it and pretending that he was okay.

Shaking his head, he bent down and collected everything from the floor. He threw the rags away and dumped the water down the toilet before flushing. As he stood alone in the silent bathroom he looked up at himself in the mirror, the duck that stared back at him looked sickly with bags under the eyes. Dust settled on his usually white feathers, making them gray. It kind of reminded him of Negaduck's feathers.

He didn't like being this dirty but getting clean was not really a priority lately in their lives. Leaving the bathroom his legs led him back to his double and without much thought to it he just took the sheet that was lying there and draped it on the other. He didn't want him to catch a cold. Although Negaduck was not one to get affected by cold. Drake was more likely to complain about it. He hated the cold.

Deciding that he also felt pretty tired he sat down next to the other duck on the small couch. It was pretty comfortable pulled out like this, especially after sleeping on a cold roof.

He laid back and listened to the slow and steady breathing of his couch neighbor. Slowly his eyelids slid close and he slipped into a light sleep.

He couldn't exactly pinpoint what woke him up in the late hours of the night again but when he tried to look around there was only darkness. Listening for any kind of sound also proved to be useless as well because it was quiet all around. He quickly sat up and realized that he was not on the couch anymore. Did something happen while he was asleep?

Did they move to someplace else and he hadn't realized? That made no sense. Sure he was tired but he would surely wake up if someone tried to move him.

He could feel his stomach knot in sudden worry and fear of this unknown place. He slowly got to his feet and with shaking legs started to walk in one direction. Moving slowly he used his arms to avoid hitting something in the pitch black. 

His heart was hammering loudly in his ears and his throat was dry like the desert as he slowly opened his beak to call for the other duck.

"N-Nega? You here?"

His voice seemed to echo around the area and made Drake frown more as he waited for an answer that never came. Moving slowly he tried to calm himself with anything he could think about that would help him figure out his situation. He was a duck with logic and so he always strived to find reasonable explanations for everything that happened. In this situation however that was easier said than done.

His pondering was suddenly interrupted when something loud and heavy fell down in front of him. Letting out a yell that he would deny came from him he jumped back and landed hard on his butt. It was still pitch black but his eyes were wide open and glued to the spot where he was sure something just fell. His breathing was fast and ragged and he could feel his hearth trying to climb out of his throat.

For a few seconds he just tried to calm himself while staring without blinking. What the hell was that? Should he investigate? Was it safe to investigate?

Before he could decide there was a slight dragging noise that came from the spot he was staring at. His eyes widened even more if it was even possible as his whole body began to shiver. It kind of sounded like someone crawling in his direction.

No matter how much he wanted to move his limbs would not obey him and he was just sitting there motionless as that something came closer.

He was not ready to hear the voice in the dark.

"D-Dark help…"

"Nega?!"

Without hesitation he jumped up and ran in the direction of the voice. The thing that terrified him a moment ago became as clear as day and he saw the other lying on the floor face down and arms outstretched as he crawled his way forward.

Landing on his knees in front of the other Darkwing quickly grabbed Negaduck and turned him around so that he was lying on his back and facing up at the other duck.

The smell hit him first and made him almost vomit then and there.

The smell of blood and rotten flesh was so strong that it made his stomach churn and his eyes to water.

The sight however was the thing that made him throw up for real next to the other.

Heaving and gagging he slowly raised his eyes back to the gruesome sight.

One of Negaduck’s legs was missing, clearly torn off and leaving a wet bloody trail on the ground from where he dragged himself. His stomach however was just one big bloody pulp of skin, intestines and organs that were spilling out everywhere.

His left shoulder and neck were clearly missing a large chunk and so was his right arm just above his elbow.

Darkwing took in a shaky and ragged breath as tears started to obscure his vision. He shook his head and raised his shaking hands to do...what? What was he supposed to do? He didn't know. He couldn't think. How was he supposed to help?

Panicking and now outright crying he touched the others cheek and searched his eyes but they were closed. After a few more seconds a dark realization hit him. The other wasn't breathing anymore.

Grief and sadness gripped his heart in an instant and he let out a loud wail as he fell on the other and cried loudly not caring if he was getting soaked with the others blood.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there and crying on top of the other when suddenly the hand that had been motionless before suddenly rose and gripped him on the shoulder.

Darkwing could feel as his heart stopped and his pupils dilated from fear and the sudden spike of adrenaline that he felt.

He didn't even have any time to react as strong teeth suddenly clamped down on his neck and tore a chunk out without much effort. 

The scream that he let out this time was animalistic as his hands gripped his wound that gushed out blood as his heart pumped it through his veins. The pain was unlike anything he had felt before and he fell on his back in a bloody heap as he gurgled to take a breath through the blood that was filling his throat.

Drake could only stare with wide eyes as Negaduck, no he was not Negaduck anymore, slowly sat up and looked at him with dead, hungry eyes.

Trying to get away was useless as the zombie dragged himself on top of Darkwing and held him in place as he sank his teeth back to the same place he had bitten before.

After that everything just went dark and quiet until he heard a voice yelling next to him.

"WAKE THE FUCK UP!"

Then his eyes opened for real and he came face to face with Negaduck who was gripping his shoulders and was too close.

His dream still vivid in his mind Drake screamed and pushed with all his might to get the other off of him and as far away as possible.

Negaduck instantly let him go and allowed him to scramble off the couch and onto the floor where he just crawled until his back hit the cold wall of the living room.

Both of them were breathing heavily and staring at the other with wide eyes.

Negaduck was the first to calm down as he took in how the other still looked scared but confused at the same time. He knew that Dark just needed a few more minutes for his brain to catch up with everything and realize what was going on.

He instantly realized when that happened as Darkwing’s eyes opened wide and tears started to fall from them. The duck got to his feet and all but jumped on top of the other making Negaduck fall back with a small grunt.

"I thought you were dead!"

Darkwing choked out between his loud sobs and Negaduck could feel his feathers get wet where the other smushed his face by the crook of his neck.

He hesitated before he slowly put his arms around Drake and pulled him closer.

"It was just a nightmare Dark. I am not gonna die."

Shaking his head Drake only gripped him tighter and continued to sob. Sighing Nega knew that he would have to wait for the other to calm down so he just stayed still and let the other cry himself out.

It took Darkwing almost 20 minutes before he was finally reduced to sniffling and his tears to stop flowing. He didn't let go of the other however and Nega was sure that they would be staying like this for a while.

"You okay now?"

"..."

"Dark?"

"M'fine…"

"Coulda fooled me. That was some nightmare you had there."

"..."

"Yeah, you don't wanna talk about it, I get that. The mind can sometimes do fucked up shit."

They both knew that Negaduck was talking from experience but neither went and said it out loud.

As time passed Darkwing calmed down enough to feel slightly embarrassed about the position they were currently in. Negaduck lying on his back while Drake straddled him and clung to him. Negaduck was holding him close with one hand on his back and the other around his waist.

It was kind of a really embarrassing situation and Drake could feel his face heat up in a blush. Regardless he stayed like this and it was a weird realisation but he didn't want to move. He felt kind of safe and protected even though his face was about to melt off from the heat.

"I was scared."

"I figured."

"You died."

"That is why you know it's a dream."

"This is serious."

"..."

"I thought you died and left me here alone and then you turned into those…things and…"

"Yeah I can imagine the rest Dark."

"Don't die, ok?"

"Ok."

Drake slowly lifted his head up and stared into the eyes of Negaduck.

"You promise?" He almost whispered.

Negaduck gulped before he whispered back with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Promise."

As the words left his beak he closed the small gap between them and kissed the other tenderly, enjoying the sight of the others eyes fluttering closed from the intimate gesture.


	7. Chapter 7

Waking up the next morning, Darkwing opened his eyes and found himself still in the arms of the other duck. He blinked the blurriness away and it took him only a few seconds to remember what had happened between them that night.

The kiss they shared had been sweet and chaste and nothing more. It was kind of like some kind of invisible wall was suddenly gone from between them and Darkwing saw Nega in a whole new light. Drake started to like this calm and kind of sweet side of the duck more and more in the last couple of days.

This was the reason why he did not move away from the others embrace and just cuddled closer to the heat the others body provided.

“You awake huh?”

The question was muttered so close to his ears that it made him jump slightly but he calmed back down in a second once he processed the words.

“Yeah.” Came the quiet reply as Darkwing sighed and tried to scoot back. Looks like that would be the end of the warm cuddles.

But strong arms didn’t allow him to get up and only pulled him closer so that his head was comfortably lying on the others chest. Letting out a breath that Darkwing didn’t even notice he was holding he all but melted back into the other.

Both of them stayed quiet and still after that.

Drake closed his eyes as he realized that he could hear the heartbeat of Negaduck which was oddly calming in a weird way. He never had this type of closeness with anybody. His life was all about his crime fighting and after he adopted Gosalyn he just didn’t have the time to really date anyone. He had the small crush on Morgana for a while but at the end he realized they just weren’t really compatible.

It was weird how faith worked sometimes because before all this he thought that he and his evil mirror image had nothing in common. 

Still his mind just wouldn’t let up and he just had to ask Negaduck.

“Why?”

“Hmm? What do you mean why?”

“You know what I am asking. Don’t make me say it.”

“Why did I kiss you?”

The answer was a small nod.

Sighing Nega just shrugged his shoulders as best as he could while lying down.

“Seemed like the right thing to do at the moment.”

“That’s it?”

“Is it not enough? What kind of answer did you want to hear?”

“I don’t know...I…”

“I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you and nothing more. You just...the way you looked at me and asked those ridiculously childish but endearing questions. I just...lost control and had to kiss you.”

“You lost control?”

“Yeah, don’t make me repeat myself.”

Finding some kind of smugness in the situation Darkwing couldn’t help the small grin that slowly crept on his beak.

“So...I make you lose control huh?”

Negaduck narrowed his eyes as those words reached his ears.

“You don’t want to test me Dark.”

“Don’t I?”

Drake didn’t even have time to react as he was suddenly pushed down on the sofa with his arms above his head. His eyes opened wide as Negaduck held his hands in a strong grip and used his other hand to put it around Drake’s neck.

“You don’t! Cuz I can and will play dirty.”

Darkwing could feel his heartbeat quicken as he drew in a surprised breath at the new position they were suddenly in. The duck could move quick if he wanted to, even with the bullet wound that he was still recovering from.  
Just as he was about to reply a weird noise caught his attention.

And by the sudden intake from the other he was not the only one to hear it.

Both of them sat up at lightning speed and got up on their feet, grabbing their weapons that were lying on the ground on each side of the sofa.

Negaduck was the first by the door that led to the rest of the house, standing still by the entrance to the room as Darkwing came up behind him and peered out over his shoulder to see. They both looked around but nothing caught their eyes that could have made the noise. That didn’t mean however that there was no danger and that nothing was wrong.

Being extra cautious Nega slowly made his way outside of the room and stood still in the hallways that led to the other rooms of the house.  
He motioned for Darkwing to stay put by the door and the other did so although reluctantly.

It was still a little dark as the sun had only just begun to rise and the little orange light that reached inside was not enough to see clearly.

Negaduck held his weapon of choice, a huge knife, higher and listened carefully for every sound. Some more rustling came from the kitchen area and something suddenly ran past him and directly at Drake.

There wasn't even enough time to warn the other and Nega ran back in the room where Darkwing vanished with a loud yell.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! DARK!!"

He was just about to plunge his knife in whatever decided to attack the other when he noticed something that made him stop altogether.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

On the sofa lay a giggling Darkwing with a black cat on top. The furry animal purred and kneaded the pullover on Drake as said duck tried to make him stop.

"Au stop...your claws are...angh...hurting me little guy."

After a few more seconds, Darkwing finally managed to get the cat off his chest and to sit up.

"Look Negs, it was just a cat." Said Darkwing as he held the cat high in the air for the other to see.

"Wow yeah I did not notice." Came the sarcastic reply as the other duck dropped his knife and sat back down with a loud and annoyed sigh.

The cat began to struggle in the hold and Drake put him back down so that it could move freely.

"This must be his home."

"Stupid thing scared me half to death. Just get rid of it."

The cat climbed back on top of Drake and began to purr loudly while lying down in the duck's lap for a well-deserved nap.

"We can't just get rid of him! Don't be mean. Look at him, he is so cute. Just try and pet him."

"Nope, I'm good. And what do you intend to do with it? We can't just take a cat with us!"

"Why not?"

"I can't believe I have to explain this to you. You need to feed it and carry it around. It could blow our cover if we try to hide or it will get us killed. It's not safe. Just leave it."

"But he will die if we leave him alone."

"Too bad."

Drake just stared at Nega with disappointment.

"Well too bad for you, because I am going to keep the little guy. And you can go and be all moody and mean somewhere else."

"Tch!"

The cat just slept without acknowledging the two ducks and Drake couldn't help but to pet his head and smile at the way that the little animal leaned his head into his hand.

Nega just looked at the two with a bored expression before landing on his back and closing his eyes.

"Do what you want. I'm just going to sleep a bit more."

Darkwing stared at him for a few seconds before his eyes wandered back to the barely visible bandages on the other. He couldn't help but to worry.

He waited a few more minutes in silence as the others breathing evened out before scooting closer and lifting his hoodie up and checking on the bandages.

Before his fingers could touch the other his arm was caught in the air and piercing eyes bore into his.

"Don't."

"Why are you so against me helping you?"

"I never needed help and I can't just...it's weird."

"It shouldn't be weird. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I fucking know that, but it's just how I always lived. No one helped me so I got used to doing everything on my own."

Silence greeted him as Darkwing just thought about what the other said. Finally he opened his beak to speak.

"I understand. It's just...you took that bullet because of me and I just can't stand the thought of it getting worse. I want to help you anyway I can. It's the least I can do."

"What happened there was not your fault Dark. They just happened to shoot at me. It could have been any one of us."

Darkwing just sighed and shook his head at the blunt lie. It was obvious that they got into that ugly situation because of Darkwing.

"You are not such a bad guy, you know?"

"Shut up!"

"Even if you try to hide it with things like this, I see through it now."

"You are only imagining things Dark."

Drake only smiled before lying down next to the other so that their shoulders touched. Their eyes met again but neither said anything to the other for a few more minutes.

"I am just glad that I got to know this side of you. It's...nice."

Darkwing saw as a light blush appeared on the others face before it was quickly turned away from him.

"Don't say shit like that."

"It's just the truth."

"You don't know me. If you knew you would not wanna stay with me."

"Well then tell me about yourself, that way I can decide for myself."

"That is not an option."

"Why not?"

An irritated sigh left the others beak as he rubbed his face with a hand. 

"Because you really don't want to know all the shit I've done."

Darkwing stared at him silently before looking down at the feline curled up on his legs and began to lightly stroke the soft fur.

"I remember you told me that you had to do what needed to be done to stay alive. I think that anyone would do the same if it came down to it."

"Yeah cuz killing others is just such an easy thing to do."

"No, it isn't...but I do understand. Sometimes it's just unavoidable."

Silence again as they both stared at the ceiling.

"It's hard...to talk about what happened in my past. Most people would just use this information against me."

"I am not most people, Nega."

Piercing eyes turned to stare into his again.

"I know that."

"So why can't you trust me?"

"It's not so simple. You don't understand!"

"Then make me understand!"

Drake was not prepared when their beaks met again amidst their little confrontation but melted into it after a moment. Nega did not hesitate to push him flat on the cushion and to grab his nape to pull his head closer into the kiss.

Drake let out a little moan as their kiss got deeper and his hands tried to find some sort of hold. One hand landed on the other ducks shoulder while the other was grabbed and pushed onto the sofa.

Darkwing had some hazy thoughts that this was getting into dangerous territory but he just did not have the energy nor the will to push the other away. It felt really good to be kissed like this and if he was standing he knew that his legs would be shaking from the rush.

It was such a long time ago that he was in such an intimate situation. He felt like a young teenager again with the way that he was reacting and it was a bit embarrassing. Not like he was going to admit this to the other duck.

They kissed for a long time, both of them breathing heavily in the few moments where they separated. Darkwing let his eyes slip closed to just enjoy the warm feeling this activity provided but he opened them instantly as he felt a hand wander down to his belly and then under his clothes.

He gasped and grabbed the wandering hand before it could touch even more.

"Don't!"

As if coming out of a trance Negaduck realized what he was doing and pulled back from the other duck as if he burned.

"Fuck! I didn't mean to! I just got carried away!"

"Hey it's...it's okay. I just never…"

Nodding Negaduck just sat there silently while Drake slowly sat back up.

"The...kissing was nice though." He mumbled with a dark blush on his cheeks as he smiled shyly at the other.

Negaduck smiled back at him and Drake could feel his heart skip a beat at the sight. Negaduck often smirked and a scowl was on his face 99% of the time. The genuine smile was something that he never saw on the ducks face before and it was beautiful.

If possible Darkwing’s blush got even deeper and he had to look down and cover his face with both hands to hide it. Was the other always this handsome?

"You okay?"

The question made him look back up and see that the smile was replaced with slight worry. This duck was going to be the death of him.

"Yeah of course, why wouldn't I be?!" He said a little too fast as he tried to regain his composure while resuming to pet the cat that landed next to his side as they kissed.

"Okay, if you say so. We should probably get moving. I don't think either of us is going back to sleep."

Nodding Drake got up to pack his things in his bag and went in the kitchen to search for some kind of cat food. Luckily he found some and was not surprised to find the black fur ball at his feet meowing excessively as he begged for food.

"There ya go little one. I hope it's to your liking."

It took less than three minutes for the cat to eat the whole can, purring while doing so. Drake packed a bunch more that he could find in his bag and left the kitchen to find the other already pushing their barricades out of the way so they could leave.

He helped the other duck and together they slowly made their way outside. The air was still a bit crisp this early in the morning but they both kind of liked the breath of fresh air.

As they made their way back to the same road they were travelling on yesterday the cat just silently followed after them much to Darkwing’s delight and Negaduck’s annoyance.

It sniffed the grass here and there and sometimes ran ahead to chase things that were blown by the wind but all in all it kept close to the two ducks.

"We should give him a name." Blurted Drake suddenly out of the blue.

"It's actually a she."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Well...good thing I didn't name her before."

"You still shouldn't. You'll just get attached to it."

"So?"

"So when something happens to it, it will just be harder to accept."

Darkwing stared ahead as they walked, his thoughts swirling.

"Did something happen to someone that was important to you?"

"Drop it Dark, I know what you are doing."

Scowling a bit Drake just kicked a rock across the road watching as the cat chased after it. 

"I'm gonna call her Scout."

"That's stupid."

"No it's not! You're stupid!"

Nega just smirked at the offended tone. He still liked to rile the other up no matter what the situation. He was not prepared when a warm hand grabbed his in a strong grip and it made him falter for a moment. He blinked at the other who looked ahead with a small pout and blushing cheeks.

Smiling he looked down at their intertwined hands and squeezed lightly back to let the other know that it was okay.


End file.
